Posted in: BBC, Disney+, Doctor Who, Opinion, TV, TV | Tagged: david tennant, disney, doctor who, Ncuti Gatwa, opinion, russell t davies

Doctor Who: Why "The Mouse" Might Be The Doctor's Best Companion Yet

Anyone who thought that the BBC's Doctor Who was done making news with Sunday's Jodie Whittaker farewell, "The Power of The Doctor," was pleasantly surprised on Tuesday with a number of updates. First, we learned that Disney+ would be the exclusive home for "New 'Who'" outside of the UK & Ireland beginning in late 2023. That means we'll be looking to "The Mouse" for Russell T. Davies' upcoming 60th-Anniversary specials starring Doctors David Tennant and Ncuti Gatwa (it's a long story). Along with that news came the reveal of the show's new logo moving forward, with Gatwa hitting the media rounds to introduce himself to the world. Now, I know there are folks out there rumbling about the move and how this is yet another thing that Disney "owns" and things like that. But as much as I'm more than willing to hold pinky toes-to-fires, I have to say that I think this is great news and that "The Mouse" is exactly the companion The Doctor needs right now.

Look, to be blunt? When it was confirmed that there wouldn't be any new Doctor Who until November 23rd, I got a bit nervous. Why? Because in "pop culture time," 13 months might as well be 13 years. That's a long time… a really long time. So my first thought is, how are they going to keep the fanbase engaged over the next year to keep energy levels high? And with all due respect to BBC America and AMC Networks, I wasn't running with a lot of faith that they would have the resources they would need for an active engagement campaign. For something like this, you need to be doing what showrunner Eric Kripke & his team are doing over at Amazon's The Boys. Between seasons, they blend behind-the-scenes production updates with meta looks inside the show's universe with in-universe ads, trailers, etc. In fact, you need to look no further than the monthly "7 on Seven" segments that were dropped between Seasons 2 & 3; they offered an excellent bridge between seasons while offering clues to what's to come.

And That's Where a Doctor Who/Disney+ Deal Works for Everyone

And that's where the power of the Disney name and corporate synergy comes into play. We were offered an example of it just yesterday, with Gatwa appearing on Live with Kelly and Ryan. The same day "The Mouse" announces the news, Gatwa is on a top-rated daytime talk show introducing himself and the show to a large number of viewers who are just learning about the series for the first time. And that was just the first day, folks. With a year to work with, I can only imagine what Disney+ will have in store to educate the masses about our good Doctor. Season compilation videos, famous names from across the Disney brand offering testimonials about how much they loved the series, watch parties when it premieres, Doctor Who mash-ups with Disney characters, and more. Seriously. Just look at how Disney+ rolled out getting the Netflix/Marvel series back, and that was after getting years of s**t over them.

So, Doctor Who fans? Embrace and enjoy these moments. Stop worrying and learn to love "The Mouse." Sure, we could discuss how this is a harbinger of Disney looking to own the entire franchise IP outright… but that's for another day. For now, let's celebrate "The Mouse's" time in the TARDIS and how it can only help the franchise grow (and how it gets Davies one step closer to his "'Who' MCU). And with that, I'll leave you with this. How many of you remember that Netflix's Cobra Kai was actually a YouTube Original that was scooped up by the streamer? And that's because Netflix spent a lot of time, money & effort to make folks think it was there all along. And that commitment has turned the "Karate Kid" sequel series into a global phenomenon. Now take that scenario, except you have a show that's already a global phenomenon, and then you're boosting it with the Disney brand?  This could get very interesting…

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